BY: Sonaike Peter
Claim:
A publication circulating online purports to be an official release from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the governorship candidates in Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano states ahead of the 2027 elections.
Verdict:
False!
The viral publication is not an official INEC announcement. INEC has denounced the publication, describing it as fake.
Full Text:
A publication circulating on social media purports to be an official release by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the omitted governorship candidates in six states of the federation, including Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano.
Recall that on Saturday, October 10, 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission released the list of presidential and governorship candidates contesting across 26 states of the federation with some candidates having their names omitted from the list.
The development has sparked mixed reactions on social media as the 2027 elections are approaching.
Some of the affected candidates whose names were exempted from the final list have also decried the omission.
While the Ogun State PDP accused APC of undue pressure to exclude its governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, from the list, the camp of PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State, Isa Pantami, urged its supporters to remain calm, following his omission from the list.
Reacting to the publication, INEC issued a press release in the early hours of Monday, October 12, 2026, informing members of the public that the circulated publication did not originate from the Commission.
INEC further warned Nigerians to disregard the publication and refrain from sharing it, advising the public to obtain electoral information only through its official communication channels.
INEC wrote,”The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to a fraudulent publication circulating online and purporting to be a special announcement by the Commission regarding issues affecting the list of governorship candidates in six states: Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe, and Kano.”
It added,”The Commission wishes to categorically inform the general public that the publication is FAKE and did not originate from INEC.”
Verification:
A check of INEC’s official website by FactCheckAfrica revealed that the Commission has published official final lists of candidates for the 2027 governorship elections, including separate candidate-list documents for Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano states.
However, the existence of these official candidate lists does not authenticate the viral “special announcement.”
INEC specifically stated in its October 12 public notice that the publication circulating online was fake and did not originate from the Commission.
It further clarified that any information suggesting that it had issued a special announcement regarding the affected governorship candidates in the six states was false.
The warning was also reported by Nigerian media outlets, including PUNCH.
INEC also provides official contact channels through which members of the public can verify electoral information, including its Citizens Contact Centre, shortcode 4632, telephone lines and official email address.
Therefore, while official candidate lists for the six states exist, the viral document claiming to be a special INEC announcement about them is fake.
Conclusion:
The claim that INEC issued the circulating special announcement regarding the governorship candidates in Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano states is false.
INEC has officially denounced the publication, stating that it did not originate from the Commission. INEC further urged Nigerians to disregard the viral document and verify information related to the 2027 election through its official website, verified social media accounts and other recognised communication channels.
